Home The Constitution Part III Article 31A

Art. 31A Part III: Fundamental Rights

Saving of Laws Providing for Acquisition of Estates

Exact text — Constitution of India

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in article 13, no law providing for—(a) the acquisition by the State of any estate or of any rights therein or the extinguishment or modification of any such rights; or (b) the taking over of the management of any property by the State for a limited period... or (c) the amalgamation of two or more corporations... or (d) the extinguishment or modification of any rights of managing agents, secretaries and treasurers... or (e) the extinguishment or modification of any rights accruing by virtue of any agreement, lease or licence for the purpose of searching for, or winning, any mineral or mineral oil... shall be deemed to be void on the ground that it is inconsistent with, or takes away or abridges any of the rights conferred by article 14 or article 19: Provided that where such law is a law made by the Legislature of a State, the provisions of this article shall not apply thereto unless such law, having been reserved for the consideration of the President, has received his assent. [Additional provisos protect certain landholdings below a ceiling limit from having compensation reduced below market value.]

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

Added by the 1st Amendment in 1951 (and expanded since), this Article shields land reform and estate-acquisition laws from being struck down for violating Articles 14 or 19 — a direct response to early court rulings that were blocking zamindari abolition and land redistribution efforts on those grounds. It's a good example of the Constitution being amended specifically to overcome judicial roadblocks to a major policy goal (breaking up large landed estates).

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is part of the legal machinery that allowed India's zamindari (large landholding) system to be abolished in the 1950s-60s and enabled subsequent land ceiling and tenancy reform laws — if you've benefited from land redistribution or tenancy protection laws, this Article is part of why those laws survived legal challenge.

Read alongside this one

Art. 31 — (Repealed) Compulsory Acquisition of Property Art. 31B — Validation of Certain Acts and Regulations

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 31A

Does this Article mean land reform laws are completely beyond court challenge?

Not entirely — it protects them specifically from challenges under Articles 14 and 19, but other constitutional grounds (and the basic structure doctrine) can still, in principle, apply.

← PreviousArticle 31: (Repealed) Compulsory Acquisition of Property Next →Article 31B: Validation of Certain Acts and Regulations

The text above reproduces Article 31A of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.